Build More Literate Communities in Rural Honduras

A saying goes, “Why try to reach the stars if a book can give you the stars, the sun, and the moon?”

Since 2010, Un Mundo has worked through the character Bibliobandidoto promote literacy in the most remote communities of the Cangrejal Valley. Today, Bibliobandido has become such a well-known figure that each community eagerly awaits his visit. Without a doubt, what the children of these communities most enjoy is his vibrant manner of demonstrating the art of learning.

“Mom! Mom! Bibliobandido and his friends are so wonderful that today they taught me to design books and write my own stories,” shouted María in the community of San Luís. “Today, I traveled the world with my imagination and discovered the best landscapes in the universe.

“Do you see how magical reading is, Mom?

“From now on, I’ll go to school with more motivation, and I’ll commit to studying more, becoming a poet, and reciting poetry to the other children. That’s what I want to do, Mom!” declared María.

Bibliobandido didn’t say goodbye to María before saying, “I’ll come back soon so that you can read me your poems, which is the food I need to survive.” María cried for this temporary separation from Bibliobandido, awaiting his return to find the magical world of reading once again.

Gerson is a natural artist, so he’s always had an eye for beauty. He’s also a natural servant, inclined to quietly lift up those around him without seeking credit for his good deeds. In his current role as the project coordinator of Un Mundo’s literacy project, he is able to combine his artist’s eye and his giver’s heart to empower people with little formal education to become the leaders of a literacy revolution.

Since January of this year, Gerson has been leading a team of eight local literacy mentors from La Lucha, Los Limpios, Los Pirineos, La Muralla, and El Pital to develop skills in teaching reading and writing to over 300 children in their communities. Once per month, he leads an in-depth training to help the mentors learn and practice new techniques, and every week he treks to these remote villages to observe the mentors in action and provide them constructive feedback on the spot. From the first meeting he facilitated with his team, it was clear that Gerson has a knack for noticing people's gifts and for helping them to build on their strengths.

Then, as if to test his mettle, the mentors in one community seemed not to be committed to their work. Worried about the lack of improvement in these mentors' students, Gerson wondered if they were the right people for the job. Instead of giving up on them, however, he made sacrifices and worked overtime to be able to visit their community as often as twice per week. He gave them feedback, allowed them to express their viewpoints, and cooperated with them to identify ways of becoming more effective teachers. Now, only several months later, Gerson is pleasantly amazed to see these same two mentors step up as the most devoted, enthusiastic members of the literacy team. Indeed, they recently took initiative to volunteer their time time to adults who wanted to learn to read and write, and many of the other mentors were inspired to follow suit. While he would never take credit for the role he played in this transformation, we know that these mentors' ability to grow as community leaders was largely thanks to his coaching.

The exciting effects of a coach like Gerson are evident in the growth not only of the literacy mentors but also of the children whom they teach. In some communities, young children who'd dropped out of school started tiptoeing close to Un Mundo's afternoon literacy workshops, peering through the window to investigate why the participating children were having so much fun. Soon, they began attending the literacy activities, and they realized that the interactive methods the mentors use are not only entertaining but also effective -- empowering them to read and write through a world of imagination. Faster than you could say "once upon a time," more than one had re-enrolled in school. Gerson says that these unexpected miracles have been some of the most rewarding moments of his career.

Gerson loves to work with children, but he sees that building capacity in other adults means changing the lives of even more young people in need. He focuses on giving mentors tools and knowledge to be able to respond to any challenge, saying, "When someone feels comfortable and assured in what she's doing, she'll be able to carry out her work in the best way possible." Reflecting on how much the mentors have grown in the past six months, he smiles, "Their accomplishments make me feel very thankful and very victorious."

Gerson and his team have made fantastic strides this year bringing literacy programming to some of the Cangrejal Valley’s remotest corners, and we hope to expand these invaluable services to reach at least three more communities by the end of the year. We believe in the capacity of this team of literacy leaders to transform learning opportunities where educational resources are scarce, and we are profoundly grateful that you’ve decided to support them in their work. Will you or a loved one be able to make another small donation to support them once again?